2019: Year in review

2019: Year in Review

Overview

In October 2018, I ran my first marathon.

I was suffering from ITBS, and was lucky to even have started that race. It wasn't a good race (time-wise) by any stretch of the imagination, but I completed the distance which was my primary goal. I didn't reach my main goal, and my stretch goal was a fantasy.

I took a few months off, and re-started training in January of 2019. 

I had "experience" on my side, now. 

At that point, I had registered for a single race in 2019: Capes - 100km - 8 months to train.

At the start of the year, I had set a few goals for myself. 

• 1:45 Half Marathon
• 4:00 Marathon
• Complete the 100km race
• 1,200 km for the full year (100 km/month)

It's that simple. 

Winter Training; Injury; Fredericton Race Weekend

I signed up for the Fredericton full marathon, which occurred on mother's day, in May. I had a training plan ready and everything.

My first run of the year was pretty bad. 

• A 3km run
• Very slow
• Unbelievably high heart rate
• Not good

All of that "experience" I had didn't factor in how easily and quickly you go from a full marathon to a immovable blob.

I got back into the training regimen, and it was not going great - I was getting knee pain on my left knee. I went to see the physio, and they said that I had "weak gluts". *rolls eyes*

Training went badly. About 6 weeks out of the marathon, I made the tough, but responsible decision to drop down to the half-marathon distance and convinced my brother to come with me.

The week prior to the race, I was playing indoor soccer, and rolled my ankle. 

Bad.

I didn't get it examined or diagnosed, but there was a lot of swelling and pain - Dr. Google and I think it was a posterior talofibular ligament sprain (full disclosure, I am not a doctor).

I probably shouldn't have ran the Fredericton Half Marathon - I didn't know how my ankle would hold up - and I should have let it heal. I taped it with KT tape, an ankle sleeve, medical tape, etc.

With my brother running the half marathon, I had an added motivation. We are competitive, and there was no way I was going to let him win. 

Finished in 2:04:48 - a time I was happy with, given my injury, training mishaps, etc.

I still beat Mario 😆

Spring and Summer Training

The week after Fredericton, I could not put any weight on my foot. I legitimately thought something was broken. I would move around the house with my office (rolling) chair. 

The swelling came down, and the time that I had to train for Capes 100km was diminishing - I told myself that I would try as hard as I could to not drop down to the 50km race. 

I have a few very good long runs; and was trending up, quickly. I noticed that the run/walk long run made it easy to reach desired kms.

• May 26 - 25 km
• June 02 - 31 km
• Break
• June 16 - 34 km
• Break
• June 29 - 53 km 

The first week of July, Kate and I visited Cape D'Or and Cape Chignecto Provincial Park. 

Beautiful. Unbelievably scenic, but there's no way I'm doing 100 km in these hills.

Everything goes according to plan:
Capes, Striders, PBs

August 17th rolls around, I drop down to the 50 km (actual distance 52km) race option for Capes with the time goal of 8 hours 30 minutes. 

You can read my Capes Race Report

I got within 45 seconds of my goal time, and I was stoked with this.

It was a tough task, but I got it done - completely lost it by the end.

Side note/ I had a dentist appointment in January and as I'm getting a picture of my teeth taken. The lady (Myrna) points to my Garmin watch.

"Is that a Garmin? Do you run?" 

She brings Lesley into the room.They are both Striders. We exchange some of our races for the upcoming year.

They suggested I join the Facebook group and join them for group runs. \Side Note

Side Note/

During Capes, I ended up camping next to two women who live near me (Alison, Catherine), and they suggested I join their running group in Amherst , NS.

\Side Note

Three weeks later, I join the Amherst Striders, for my first run. I've continued to run with them since that day.

On September 21st, my town is holding a harvest festival, and there's a 1 mile race happening. I have never trained to go fast, don't do HIIT workouts nor speedwork. I was concentrated on endurance and distance for the past 6 months. 

No registration, fees or anything - you just show up.
I got a 1 mile PB 6:24, good for 12th overall. A big confidence booster! I can actually run fast(ish)?!?

I kept running with the Amherst Striders, probably 3x per week for 5 weeks
Many of them are doing the PEI race weekend, I get peer pressured into running it.

Eliud Kipchoge broke the 2-hour marathon record with a time of 1:59:40 on Oct. 12

That would be my goal time - I want to run a half marathon faster than 1:59:40

Done!
PEI Half Marathon Race Report

My toes are absolutely wrecked by the end of this race - I ended up losing two toenails because of it!

Am I officially a runner now?

Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend - Team Awesome

While this is taking place, I get a targeted Facebook advertisement from the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend - they want applicants to be on their Team Awesome. I apply (because why not?).

I get the great news that I've been selected to be part of #TeamAwesome, Ambassador for the Ottawa Marathon, and that I get to run the Ottawa Marathon for free! Amazing!

It will be fun to share my journey with anybody who wants to follow along. 

While the ambassadors and me are introducing each other, I noticed that some of the other ambassadors are also ambassadors for other products (Oiselle, Nuun, Honey Stinger, Endurance Tap... other gear/nutrition). 

I start applying to as many of these that I can; look for ambassador programs - especially for the stuff that I already use. Lo and behold, I get selected for Team Nuun also!

 Wrapping up the end of the Year - Re-injury

So with the end of the PEI race weekend, I had no other goals until the end of the year, except for the 1,200 annual kms.

I had a loose goal to run the Hypothermic Half Marathon on Feb 02/2020 (palindrome day) - but by mid November, end December I noticed that I had a lot of foot pain on my left side, which was caused a unbalanced gait, and thus hip and knee issues as well. My mileage dipped quite a bit in these last few months and I didn't reach my 1,200 goal, but I started focusing more on healing, recovery, and injury prevention. I found myself a great local chiropractor whose treatment and advice has helped me turn around and manage the toll running takes on me.

Addendum

To summarize:

• Ran 1,017 kms for the entire year
• Did not even attempt a marathon
• Dropped down two race distances 
• Fredericton Full to Half
• Capes 100km to Capes 50km

Thus, I achieved no goals that I set for myself at the beginning of the year.

I regret nothing.

A few things I learned this year

1. Injury prevention is important
• Find a good medical professional
2. There are limits to what I am capable of doing alone, find a group
• If you're in Sackville, Amherst or surrounding area, come join us!
3. Enjoy the journey
• Having a plan is important, but you have to enjoy it
4. Believe in yourself, and give yourself realistic goals